UPDATE 3-Rugby-England fullback Brown ruled out of test series

June 11, 2012|Reuters

* England fullback Brown has fractured thumb

* Abendanon joins squad as replacement

* South Africa's Kirchner to miss second test

(Adds Lancaster quotes)

JOHANNESBURG, June 11 (Reuters) - England fullback MikeBrown has been ruled out of the three-test series against SouthAfrica with a fractured thumb and will be replaced by Bath'sNick Abendanon, the team management said on Monday.

Abendanon, 25, has already joined the squad ahead of thesecond test against the Springboks on Saturday in Johannesburg,where he attended the weekend wedding of Bath team mate PieterDixon.

South Africa lost their fullback Zane Kirchner on Monday forthe second test. Kirchner injured his knee in the first test inDurban last weekend and will be replaced by Stormers utilityback Gio Aplon.

Abendanon was born in Johannesburg and made his test debutin Pretoria against the Springboks in 2007. He won his secondand last test cap against France at Twickenham later that year.Brown will return home for an operation on his thumb.

England's backline will have to be further shuffled for thesecond test after centre Brad Barritt, another SouthAfrican-born player, underwent a minor operation at the weekendfor a lacerated eyeball.

South Africa, who staged a second-half rally to beat England22-17 in the first test last Saturday, said Kirchner's kneewould be checked again next week ahead of the final test in PortElizabeth on June 23.

England play a Southern Barbarians XV in Kimberley onWednesday before flying back for the second test and coachStuart Lancaster said the midweek match would provide anopportunity for him to build some midfield depth.

"I'm playing what would be regarded as two specialist 12s onWednesday because I want to look at Anthony Allen at 13,"Lancaster told a news conference.

"The plan is that Anthony will move to 12 in the second halfand George Lowe will come on at outside centre. It's aboutcreating opportunities for everyone and not pigeonholing them,"said.

"We must have options in different positions and you don'tget the opportunity to work on that in international rugby -there's no pre-season and very few warm-up matches," he added.

(Reporting by Ken Borland; Editing by John Mehaffey, ClareFallon and Alison Wildey)